Gun-carriage having a swinging barrel-carrier



PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

0. KNOCH. I V GUN CARRIAGE HAVING A SWINGING BARREL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

'PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

0. KNOGH. GUN CARRIAGE HAVING A SWINGING BARREL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' N0 MODEL.

PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

' 0. KNOGH. GUN CARRIAGE HAVING A SWINGING BARREL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1903.

3 SHEETSSHEET 8 N0 MODEL Patented August 4, 1903.

OSCAR KNOCl-I, OF RL'TTENSOHEID, NEAR ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FRIED. KRUPP, or ESSEN-ON-THE-RUIIR, GERMANY.

GUN-CARRIAGE HAVING A SWINGING BARREL-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,392, dated August 4, 1903.

Application filed May 15, 1903. Serial No. 157,315. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OSCAR KNOCH, engineer, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Rtittenscheid, near Essenon-the-Ruhr, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gun- Carriages Having a Swinging Barrel-Carrier, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gun-carriages having a swinging barrel-carrierthat is to say, to those gun-carriages in which the recoil is transmitted through the medium of a vertically-swinging barrel-carrier to a recuperator and generally to a recoil-brake also.-

The object of the invention is to provide a gun-carriage having a swinging barrelcarrier in which it is possible to haul the barrel--that is to say, bring it from the firing position to a depressed position (for example, behind a shelter) without necessitating the overcoming of the resistance offered by the recuperator and the recoil-brake when the latter is provided. This object is attained according to the present invention by having the barrel-carrier divided in its length and by having the members thus constructed articulated together and also held together by a releasable coupling.

In the drawings forming part of this specification one embodiment of the invention is shown byway of example, and in said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gun in firing position, the near wall of the guncarriage being omitted. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the gun in sheltered position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the two members of the barrel-carrier. Fig. 4 shows a front elevation of a part 'of the carriage, the View being from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3, seen from below. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 3, taken from above and with the coupling released. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7, Fig. 1, seen from the left and drawn on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 8 is a detail view on an enlarged scale.

The description of the structure of the guncarriage will be based upon the firing position of the gun.

The gun-barrel A is supported, through the medium of its trunnions a, by a carrier 13 O hollowed and have inserted externally in in the form of a two-part lever, which is fulcrumed to swing upon a' horizontal shaft E, secured in the walls D D of the carriage. The lower member 0 of the barrel-carrier ha's articulated connection with the piston-rod f of a fluid-brake, the cylinder F of which is mounted to swing in the carriage-walls and is to'be understood as containing a recuperator-spring. The barrel-carrier B C is divided in its length in such manner that its two parts constitute distinct members. The member B consists, essentially, of two parallel walls connected by a transverse rib b and each surrounding the shaft E by a reinforced eye b*. The member 0 is mounted on the shaft E by an eye 0, surrounding the shaft between the eyes 1) of the member B. The two members B and O are held together by a releasable clutch or coupling, which consists of two sleeves H, arranged upona spindle Gand surrounding corresponding semi-annular bosses or extensions 1) c of the two carrier members. The spindle G is held parallel to the shaft E in bearings 0 provided in a bifurcated portion of the member C, in which bearings the spindle is rotatable, but not slidable. It carries upon one end an angular head for the reception of a crank, and between its bearings said spindle is provided on one half with right and on the other half with left handed threads, which receive the corresponding internal threads of the sleeves H. These sleeves are conically 8 them the screws h, Fig. .7, with heads work- 5 ing in a groove 0 in the member 0, running parallel to the spindle G, so that the sleeves H are secured against turning on said spindle. The partly-open bearings c in the memher 0 for the spindle G find their counterparts in the open bearings b on the member B. The bodies of these bearings are extended on their sides toward the coupling-sleeves H and form the conical bosses b 0?, shaped to correspond with and enter the sleeves. The abutting faces of the bearings b c are provided with overlapping offsets b c, so that the lateral displacement of one bearing on the other or of the members B G is prevented.

To the carrier member B at the point b is linked a chain J, Figs. 1 and 2, the free end member B hangs with sufficient slackness to avoid hindering the swinging-back of the barrel-carrier on firing. A butter R on the carriage serves as a rest for the gun-barrel when insheltered position.

The mechanism T T T for determining the elevation of the barrel is of known construction and so arranged as to allow of the barrel-carrier, together with the barrel, being brought from any firing position to the sheltered position. There is preponderance of the breech of the gun-barrel.

In the firing position the parts of the gun occupy the positions shown in Fig. 1.. Upon delivering a shot the barrel-carrier swings about the shaft E, so that in a known manner the recoil will be taken up by the recu perator and the fluid brake, and immediately after the recoil the barrel will be brought forward again into the firing position. If it is desired to transfer the gun-barrel from firing position into shelter'position, Fig. 2, the chain J is stretched through the medium of the driving-gear P P N N M M K, and then the spindle G is turned in the direction of the arrow at, Figs. 1 and 7, by a hand-crank applied to the angular head g of said spindle until the coupling H H b c is disengaged. If the chain J is now paid outby the driving-gear, the carrier member B, with the gunbarrel, will lay over under the preponderance of the weight of the gun-barrel. The release of the chain continues until the gunbarrel is arrested by the buffer B. It the gun-barrel is to be transferred from sheltered position to firing position, the member B, with the barrel, is raised through the medium of the driving-gear and chain until the offsets b 0 come together, after whichthe coupling is reestablished by turning the spindle G in the direction opposite to arrow w until the sleeves H again envelop the semicircular bosses b c, after which the chain P is again slackened.

As is obvious without further explanation, the invention is adapted for use upon disappearing gun-carriages operated with a swingingly-mountedbarrel-carrier.

Having thus described the invention, the following is what is claimed as new therein:

1. In a carriage for guns having a swinging barrel-carrier, a barrel-carrier, divided into members articulated together, and held together by a releasable connection, whereby, upon releasing the latter, one member of the carrier, with the gun barrel can be lowered independently of the other members.

2. In a carriage for guns, having a swinging barrel-carrier and a recuperator; a carrier divided into two members, one of which carries the gun-barrel, and the other of which is connected with the recuperator; said members being articulated together, and held to gether by a releasable coupling whereby, upon releasing the coupling, the one member with the gun-barrel may be lowered independently of the other, and therefore without overcoming the resistance of the recuperator.

3. In a carriage for guns, having a swinging barrel-carrier and a recuperator; a suitably-fulcrumed carrier divided into two mem bers, one of which carries-the gun-barrel, and the other of which is connected with the recuperator; said members being articulated together at the fulcrum, and held together by a releasable coupling, whereby upon releasing the coupling, the one member with the gun-barrel may be lowered independently of. the other, and therefore without overcoming the resistance of the recuperator.

4. In combination with a gun-carriage having a recuperator, a suitably-fulcrumed barrel-carrier comprising two members suitably articulated together, and held together by a releasable connection, one of which members is connected with the gun-barrel and the other of which is connected with the recuperator, and means for raising and lowering the member with the gun-barrel independently of the member connected with the r'ecuperator.

5. In combination with a gun-carriage having a recuperator, a suitably-fulcrumed barrel-carrier comprising two members suitably articulated together, and held together by a releasable connection, one of which members is connected. with the gun-barrel, and the other of which is connected with the recuperator, and means for raising and lowering the member with the gun-barrel independently of the member connected with the recuperator, consisting of the cranks mounted on the gun-carriage, and having controlling connection with the gun-barrel member of the lever.

6. In combination with a guncarriage having a recupe'rator, a suitably-fulcrumed barrel-carrier comprising two members suitably articulated together and held together by a releasable connection, one of which members is connected with the gun barrel and the other of which is connected with the recuperator, and means for raising and lowering the member with the gun-barrel independently of the member connected with the recuperator, consisting of the cranks mounted on the gun-carriage, and having controlling eohnection with the gun-barrel member of the carrier, through the medium of a sprocket-wheel and chain.

7. A gun-carriage having a swinging barrel-carrier and means for controlling movements thereof; said carrier being constructed in two members, articulated together by the swinging axis of the barrel-carrier, and held together by a releasable coupling consisting of abutting portions on the carrier members and coupling-sleeves on one of said members,

rel-carrier-and means controlling the same, said'carrier being constructed in-two members articulated together, and held together by a releasable coupling; said coupling consisting of projecting semi-annular bearings on the members abutting when the members are brought together, oppositely-presented sleeves engaging over-said bearings and the right and left handed threaded screw engaging said sleeves.

The foregoing specification signed at Dusseldorf, Germany, this 27th day of April,

OSCAR .KNOCH.

In presence of PETER LIEBER, WILLIAM ESSENWEIN. 

